One Doctor’s Take: Splenda Is Bad for Us from the Inside Out

Dr. Bowen says of Splenda, “Splenda/sucralose is simply chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon. Common chlorocarbons include carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethelene and methylene chloride, all deadly. Chlorine is nature’s Doberman attack dog, a highly excitable, ferocious atomic element employed as a biocide in bleach, disinfectants, insecticide, WWI poison gas and hydrochloric acid.” This seems a bit extreme, but when you step back and think about it, you do have to wonder what this product does when we ingest it continually. In fact, many of us are ingesting several items every day that have Splenda in it.

Dr. Bowen has made a lot of people scratch their head and think about exactly why they are ingesting Splenda and exactly what it is doing to our bodies. The doctor points out that chlorocarbons, which is what Splenda is, is not nutritionally compatible with the metabolic processes that are ongoing in our bodies. Using very scientific means of researching, the doctor has come to find and believes wholeheartedly that the arrangements of the atoms in Splenda adversely affects human metabolism.

Dr. James Bowen believes that the chlorocarbons cannot be excreted from our bodies and that will continue to cause damage to our metabolism and eventually if we keep ingesting it, to our internal organs. Bowen believes that the liver is not able to detoxify our body of Splenda because the chlorocarbons in Splenda damage the hepatocytes, which are the liver’s metabolic cells.

Dr. Bowen hasn’t come with up with these beliefs without data to back it up. In fact, there have been test animals that have ingested Splenda and all of them had swollen livers and calcified kidneys. As if these findings weren’t overwhelming enough, it is known that the brain and nervous system are susceptible to metabolic toxicities and can be damaged by the chemicals that are Splenda. It is thought that something as seemingly simple and harmless and Splenda could cause a breakdown in the nervous system, affecting genetics and even immune function. It is also thought that because of the breakdown that chlorocarbon poisoning can cause cancer, birth defects, and total immune system destruction.

Dr. James Bowen says, “We should not be fooled again into accepting the safety of a toxic chemical on the blessing of the FDA and saturation advertising. In terms of potential long term human toxicity we should regard sucralose with its chemical cousin DDT, the insecticide now outlawed because of its horrendous long term toxicities at even minute trace levels in human, avian, and mammalian tissues.”

In short, Splenda is something that we all need to think about before we ingest it. It’s regarded as an artificial sweetener. In most instances, artificial is not a term that has a positive connotation. Why should it be any different with the things that we ingest? We don’t want to think that there are things out there that are FDA approved that aren’t safe, but when you think about aspartame you have to know that there are things out there that just aren’t good for us. We have to be discerning consumers and think about our health long term.

As more and more people are becoming obese there are more people looking to substitute their favorite foods with those that are not as calorie packed but taste just as good. Many have found that artificial sweeteners are the way to go, with Splenda being the latest and supposedly greatest in a long line of products. It’s true; this artificial sweetener does taste better than those of the past, but is it worth it? Splenda is packaged well and has been marketed beautifully, but there is some scientific data that suggests that Splenda is not nearly as kind to your body as real, calorie packed sugar is.

Artificial Food Products

It seemed as though Splenda was the dieter’s dream and so many of us are reluctant to admit that artificial sweeteners and other man made products simply are not good for us. The problem is that the only safe foods are those that actually come from the earth, not those that have to be chemically produced or changed to create the product. In fact it appears as though chemically altered substances may take a toll on our health and the health of our children. For this reason, you should not consider Splenda, which is basically a sugar free chemical substance, a product that you want to buy.

Is Splenda Better than Aspartame?

The availability of Splenda came on the heels of disappointment of many as we found out the dangers associated with aspartame. Aspartame penetrates the blood brain barrier, meaning it can enter the brain and create toxins that can literally damage the brain. Many diet conscience people turned to Splenda because they didn’t want to experience neurological side effects that aspartame can and does cause. We don’t yet know what the long term affects of Splenda usage will be, but we do know that it is not a naturally occurring sugar product, in fact it is a chemical substance, and that fact speaks volumes. The fact is we aren’t sure yet if Splenda is any better for your body than aspartame. The question is are you willing to take the chance?

Splenda: To Buy or Not to Buy?

For the longest time NutraSweet was the biggest seller of all of the artificial sweeteners, but when research uncovered the data about what aspartame does to the brain and the body on a whole many people were disgusted and worried about their health. Splenda seems like a great option because it is manufactured by a well known brand, Johnson & Johnson, and it also tastes much more like sugar than anything else that has been on the market in the past. Splenda is also marketed as being made from real sugar, making it an obvious choice for those that are looking for a sugar substitute. Splenda has another attractive feature, which is that it is heat stable, meaning people who are trying to cut calories from their diet or individuals, such as diabetics, can enjoy more of their favorite foods without the calories and carbohydrates associated with real sugar.

What Do We Already Know About Splenda?

While we do not yet have long term studies on the side effects of Splenda, we do know that Splenda and other blends of chemical sweeteners appear to be causing problems. Those that use the substances gain weight, experience sleep disturbances, have problems with sexual functions, as well as an increased risk of cancer! In addition it appears as though Splenda and other artificial sweeteners are causing an increase in Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, diabetes, and many different degenerative diseases. In short, Splenda and similar sweeteners are hurting the very people that the product is marketed toward: those that do not want to gain weight and those that cannot freely consume real sugar!

A lot of researchers are concerned about the chlorine in Splenda. Those that created Splenda have openly stated that there is chlorine in Splenda, which is not a big deal because chlorine is usually used in combination with other elements. Chlorine is not harmful to the body because it is usually absorbed and flushed away like everything else. The problem with Splenda is that those that are in the know have admitted that only about 15% of Splenda is actually absorbed by the body. What this means is that the creators of Splenda cannot actually tell us how much chlorine has been left in the body! The fact is, any element that is being left in the body in undetermined amounts can cause problems, and there is no doubt that the chlorine that you are taking in through Splenda is causing problems for your body.

Don’t Be Fooled by Sweetener Blends

Many artificial sweetener users are turning away from aspartame and sucralose or Splenda and are turning toward the sweetener blends that they are finding in products, assuming that these are somehow safer. These sweetener blends are simply mixtures of the harmful substances. The reason that these substances are often used together is that they can reproduce the real sugar taste better than they can alone.

When consumers ingest these sweetener blends they are not only getting the side effects of one sweeter, they are getting them from all of the sweeteners used. In addition, who knows what sort of toxins could be produced by the mixture of the products? It’s already been stated that you cannot excrete all of these sweeteners or the chemicals in them, imagine how many toxins you have floating around your body right now!

Is Anything Safe Anymore?

Sugar is still safe, and though it does tend to pack the calories into every sugary spoonful it can’t cause any more weight gain than is already being caused by the artificial sweeteners out there. The difference between sugar and the artificial products is that sugar satisfies the body, but the artificial sweeteners actually trick your body and make you hungrier, causing you to consume more calories than you would have otherwise. Seems like a vicious circle, doesn’t it? Be sure when you buy sugar not to buy the altered sugar products as these can be detrimental to your health.

The sweeteners that you probably just want to scratch off of your safe to use list are aspartame, acesulfame-K, neotame, sucralose, and alitame. Sucralose and Alitame both have FDA approval pending. A sweetener known as Cyclamate lost its FDA approval back in 1970, though it is currently up for approval again. There is and probably always will be more sweeteners in various stages of development as well as FDA approval.

In addition to sugar you can also safely consume saccharin and stevia. Saccharin is actually a complex sugar extract that comes from a plant that originated in China. The FDA has reported that neither saccharine or stevia has ever caused cancer! This is more like it!

Weight Gain and Ceasing the Use of Artificial Sweeteners

If you consume artificial sweeteners because you want to lose weight, you might want to know that researches cannot find any evidence that the sugar substitutes actually help consumer’s lose weight. These chemicals, in many circumstances, often stimulate the appetite so it could be working against you. Simply limit the amount of food that you are taking in and making better food choices will be a more straight forward way to lose weight and healthier, too!

When you stop using these sweeteners you will probably notice a huge change. Children are often the most noticeably different when artificial sweeteners are pulled from their diet. Many depressed and aggressive children become more balanced and enjoyable to be around. Many researchers also attribute many mental illnesses or behavioral problems to the over use of chemicals in our diets.

The way to identify what does and does not have Splenda or any other artificial sweeteners is to read labels. When you get in the habit of checking labels you can better your life and the lives of all of your family members. Even diabetics can find better ways to eat and drink rather than take in these harmful chemicals, it’s simply about making better food choices for everyone.

With more than 3,000 products on the market today with just Splenda in them, reading labels will really help you cease using these products. While we don’t know for sure what long term use of Splenda will mean, it’s better to quit while you’re ahead than wait and see based on initial research and the case histories associated with similar products.